A few simple tree studies in watercolour:
Lemon Yellow was painted straight onto the paper and the Prussian Blue was overlaid, wet in wet, allowing the colours to mix into an assortment of different greens…
When I painted the above tree I was really only doodling with my left over watercolour paint in my palette. But I quite liked it, so I cut it out and stuck it into my watercolour workbook.
The foliage colours were dabbed onto the paper with a sheet of screwed up kitchen roll, I used Cerulean Blue and Sepia. The trunk was painted afterwards with Lamp Black. While the black paint was still wet I dropped a tiny dot of water onto the top of each branch so they would blend into the foliage….
My tree reflections above were created using an interesting technique. Before adding the paint I first went over my paper with gum arabic, just in the area I wanted my tree reflections. Then dropped my paint into the wet gum arabic. The gum arabic slows down the spread of the paint creating the interesting feathery patterns above. You can click on the image to view it larger and see the feathery patterns more clearly. The tree line above the reflections was painted after the reflections. Colour used was Prussian Blue.
This is a really interesting technique – please do give it a go if you’ve never tried it before. You can use it for all sorts of things, not just tree reflections….
So here I have done three different was of painting trees. I will explore many more ways of creating trees as I continue on my watercolour journey….
I really enjoy your art
Thank you!
I’m not me
I use paper towels too…it has an interesting texture. I really like the blue and green tree. (K)
Thank you Kerfe!
Inspiring! The tree studies have my creative juices flowing. Thanks for the gum arabic tip.
Thank you Sharon, it was a great tip I picked up in an online tutorial….
I love trees especially the reflection.
Thank you Sandy….
You have a real talent! Beautiful art work!
Thank you Cecilia, you’re very kind…
So wonderful, Evelyn!
The second one is my favorite.
Thank you Lisa, I like them all but the I think the first one is my favourite….
You are just so creative Evelyn! I love the top blue and yellow tree, though all are just wonderful!
Thank you Beverly…. !
I like your trees. Especially the first one. Isn’t watercolor paint fun?
Thank you Karen, and yes watercolour is enormous fun – I love it…. !
I love the way the clours mix on the page as you drop them in, it looks really fresh and vibrant.
Thank you Sunnyfae!
Loving the way the Prussian blue mixes with the lemon yellow! I stopped buying green paints and inks – the tones you can mix with blue and yellow are so much more versatile!
Thank you Zsuzsa – I think ready made greens do have their place in art but mixing greens is so much more fun and the variety is infinite……
Reblogged this on sketchuniverse and commented:
HI BEAUTIES ! MANY TREES ARE WITNESSES OF ALL OUR LIFE. THEY SAW OUR BIRTH AND MAYBE THEY WILL SEE US DIE. WE MUST TREAT THEM AS TRUE BROTHERS. XOXO
Now that I look at them closely, I love watercolors. Beautiful.
Thank you! I love watercolours too – how the colours mingle and blend so effortlessly always excites me….